I Surrender My Spark
by Cordogg
Summary: Ratchet reminices on what lead up to this point as he prepares to die.


**Well I saw TF4 AOE this morning. *You may not wanna read this if you haven't seen the movie yet because this GIVES AWAY A CHARACTER DEATH ****SPOILER* I love Ratchet overall in most continuities, but of the five original live-action bots he was probably my least favorite. However, the manner** **in which he died was disturbing. Begging for his life (more to me like he was begging for an understanding as to why this was happening because he** **appeared to have accepted his fate). It was sad to watch and was just all kinds of wrongs in so many ways. Jazz and Ironhide died in battle like** **warriors. Not celebrating their demises, but Ratchet's felt way wrong because he was hunted down.**

**The utter act of betrayal by those he trusted,** **not to mention how they disrespected his corpse was really effed' up. They MELT HIS ******G HEAD. Holy crap... I had to get this off my chest.**

Chapter One and Only

_*****__In his final moments, Ratchet's P.O.V.__***: **_I'm hiding behind this building. I was desperate to hide my energy signature, but to no avail. They had been after us for the past four years for reasons I don't know. The human deception that has led up to this very moment began four years ago, several months after the events in Chicago. We were all on Lennox's farm, a perfect, happy day. Even Simmons was present with us, basking in his even greater glory of American heroism. He had earned it, so we smiled as he ranted on about his role in helping us bring down Megatron once and for all. Then those government vans showed up. For us mechanical beings we assumed it was another mission request. It was to be no such favor asked. Men hopped out, weapons in tow and rounded up all of the humans among us, assuring everyone not to be alarmed. They did not have their arsenal positioned as if to fire at anyone. They seemed friendly enough and knew who we were so none of us had reason to be alarmed, initially. These men announced they were taking our friends away to a protected area because "something had come up". Sam, his parents, Epps and Lennox and Mr. Simmons as I understand were to be taken into "protective custody", to a secret place we were told.

Right away Simmons objected to going anywhere and was somewhat leery of these men. He demanded to know who they were. Our human companions were as startled by the sudden disruption as we were. They didn't want to leave us but we told them it was probably for their safety to do as these officials told. As we watched them being driven away in those dark vans, we were certain we'd meet again. We waited patiently for the dark-suited men to cue us in as to what was going on. What was the reason for our human friends' sudden departures? Was there some new Decepticon threat we should know of? They wouldn't tell us but instead stood staring at all of us as though we were suddenly scourge. A filth that had settled on their planet, that's how Bumblebee described it to me when I pinged him from my hiding space. At the time I was too busy watching the vans vanishing in the distance with Sam and the others to notice the conversation being had between our leader and the lead human there.

It was only when Optimus shouted for us to run that I was startled back to realization. I heard the gun shots. I felt them. The weapons used on us weren't enough to seriously damage us, but was enough to get our attention. There was so much noise, and at first we were milling around in confusion. Then I realized that these humans were shooting at us. _**US! **_Amid the maelstrom of ricocheting bullets bouncing off my armor I could hear my leader's desperate shouts for us to flee. "Where?" I pinged him. "Anywhere! Just run! Don't follow me; split up…_ALL OF YOU!_!" Prime's magnificent voice bellowed in my comm link. I did exactly that but as I fled the scene, like my fellow autobots I had to inquire. I was so dismayed.

"Why are they shooting at us? This makes no sense; what have we done to warrant this?" "I don't know. But they said we're on their hit list! They're after all of us!" It was an angry Sideswipe who responded to my plea. He was much like Ironhide was about the humans. To him they seemed ungrateful, and beneath him as a life form. But while the humans grew on Ironhide, they had yet to do so on Sideswipe, save for Sam and the two military human males. But he had always been suspicious of the human alliance from the start despite our leader's reassurances. It was clear to me now he had every reason to doubt the humans' true intentions. Still that puzzling question gnawed at me. "But, why?" "Does it matter 'Ratch? They want us dead; that's what the guy said! _**Were you not listening back there when he was talking to us?!**_ Just go! I'll meet up with you later I promise! Now burn rubber!" It would be the last time I would ever see or hear from Sideswipe again. After repeated attempts to make contact I finally made it too far out of range. I could only hope he and the others were okay.

I learned later that they attempted to launch a rescue of our contained humans but failed miserably, and without Prime's assistance. This time the guarded facility had enough firepower to take Leadfoot apart, I heard. Sideswipe and Bumblebee were able to get away, as was Topspin but they had all lost track of each other in the process. And no one knew where the Prime was. That was nearly three years ago. My flight to escape led me to this strange place where I've hid all this time. And now my cover has been blown. In my desperate bid to escape a heavy mortar shell struck me, blowing me completely out of my alternate vehicle mode. The damage is even worse; half of my alt mode armor has been blown clean off. Parts of my exoskeleton showing, I realize my right leg is missing. The pain is intense but I am determined to maintain my dignity. I hop into a spin, facing my attackers. I plead to them to listen, that I'm an autobot. If not friend, at the very least I am their ally. Do they think Autobots are actually Deceptions now.. what? Something strikes my back with such force that blasts a partial hole in my side. I can no longer stand. I don't remember how I ended up on the ground because I don't remember falling. I remember only bringing myself to a daze, lying where I collapsed. I think at this point it's safe to say I've met my end. I do not wish to die, and die badly at that, but If I must, I will do so defiantly.

But I'm finding this hard to do because an extreme pain that is _not_ physical is knotting in my throat. Crushing my spark, because this is emotional now. The pain I feel is no longer sparking wires from a torn limb, but that of deep betrayal from the ones I was happy to call allies. Ones I fought to save. The ones whose planet I helped save, and this is my reward? Being blown to pieces? For my commitment to protect you from the Decepticons this is how you repay me? "{WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU HUMANS}?!" I surprise myself with the begging tone in my voice. It is a beg, not for my life, but because I cannot understand why I'm being turned on like this. I'm begging to understand because I'm so confused. I start thinking back on my reflection on the tarmac when Prime's body was dropped like junk from the helicopter. That this planet wasn't worth saving. I'm thinking that thought yet again now, in the here and now. What did any of us do to deserve this?

X

I see that figure swaggering towards me. "He's mine, now." Lockdown. Decepticon only by necessity but truly belonged to neither faction. He was a bounty hunter, after Optimus apparently. Why I don't know, and not that I'd tell him anyhow, but I don't know where Optimus is. So it's easy for me to choose the more defiant answer to Lockdown's. My only regrets are I didn't get to say goodbye to those humans I care about, and that I didn't get to tell Prime how honored I was to serve him. My already weakened optics focus on Lockdown's balled fist as it zeroes in on my chest. It's coming closer…this is it.

_Primus, into your Well, I surrender my spark_.


End file.
